Bath aid structure and bath aid assembly

ABSTRACT

A bath aid structure for use with a bathtub includes a first plate, a handle disposed on top of the first plate, and a second plate. The first plate is mounted on top of two sidewalls of the bathtub and includes a bend portion disposed on the first plate and having an opening corresponding in position to a cavity of the bathtub; a first pivotal connection portion disposed inside the bend portion and positioned distal to opening; and a first engagement portion positioned proximate to the opening. The second plate is received in the bend portion and includes a second pivotal connection portion corresponding in position to the first pivotal connection portion, such that the second plate is pivotally coupled to the first plate; and a second engagement portion corresponding in position to the first engagement portion, such that the second plate is movably fixed to the first plate.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to bath aid structures, and moreparticularly, to a bath aid structure for assisting a disabled person inentering a bathtub.

BACKGROUND

Almost each household in a developed country today has a bathroomfurnished with a bathtub in which an occupant bathes.

However, it is so difficult for an aged or disabled occupant to cross asidewall of the bathtub that the aged or disabled occupant can do soonly when assisted by another person.

Also, bathrooms and bathtubs are usually wet and thus pose a risk factorfor slips and bone fractures among the elderly and the disabled. Hence,when it comes to aged or disabled occupants, a bathtub in a bathroomwill be a dangerous fixture in a bathroom, unless the bathroom or thebathtub is equipped with a protective appliance.

Furthermore, unlike their young or physically fit counterparts, aged ordisabled occupants are unable to stand inside a bathtub for a longwhile, and thus they prefer to sit inside the bathtub. However,conventional bathtubs are seldom designed to allow sedentary users tostretch their lower limbs, thereby rendering a bath difficult.

Accordingly, it is imperative to provide a bath aid structure forassisting a disabled or aged person in entering a bathtub to take a baththerein.

SUMMARY

It is not only difficult for disabled or aged persons to enterconventional bathtubs but also dangerous for them to do so.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a bath aidstructure for assisting a disabled or aged person in entering a bathtuband reducing hazards otherwise arising therefrom.

In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the presentinvention provides a bath aid structure for use with a bathtub. The bathaid structure comprises a first plate, at least a handle, and a secondplate.

The first plate is mounted on top of two sidewalls of the bathtub. Thefirst plate comprises: a bend portion disposed on a lateral surface ofthe first plate and having an opening corresponding in position to acavity of the bathtub; a first pivotal connection portion disposedinside the bend portion and positioned distal to the opening; and afirst engagement portion positioned proximate to the opening of the bendportion. The handle is disposed on top of the first plate. The secondplate is received in the bend portion of the first plate. The secondplate comprises: a second pivotal connection portion corresponding inposition to the first pivotal connection portion of the first plate,such that the second plate is pivotally coupled to the first plate; anda second engagement portion corresponding in position to the firstengagement portion of the first plate, such that the second plate ismovably fixed to the first plate.

The bath aid structure of the present invention further comprises acushion removably mounted beneath the second plate.

The bath aid structure of the present invention further comprises atleast a bathtub fitting element disposed beneath the first plate, suchthat the first plate is fixed to the sidewalls of the bathtub. The atleast a bathtub fitting element is provided in the number of two, andthe two bathtub fitting elements are fixed to the two sidewalls of thebathtub, respectively.

The bath aid structure of the present invention further comprises aplate reinforcing element mounted beneath the second plate.

The bath aid structure of the present invention further comprises aplurality of plate drains penetratingly formed in the first plate and/orthe second plate.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a bath aidassembly whereby, after entering the bathtub, the disabled or agedperson can be seated to take a bath therein comfortably.

In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the presentinvention provides a bath aid assembly for use with a bathtub, the bathaid assembly comprising: a bath aid structure, wherein a firstconnection rod is pivotally connected to a bottom surface of the firstplate of the bath aid structure; and a seat structure, comprising: achair pad; four support rods removably mounted beneath the chair pad;and a second connection rod pivotally coupled to the chair pad andmovably connected to a first connection rod of the first plate of thebath aid structure to adjust a distance between the first plate and thechair pad.

As regards the bath aid assembly of the present invention, the chair padof the seat structure is characterized by: a first storage portiondisposed beneath the chair pad to store the support rods having beendisconnected from the chair pad; and a second storage portion centrallypositioned beneath the chair pad to store the first connection rod andthe second connection rod.

As regards the bath aid assembly of the present invention, a pluralityof chair pad drains is disposed on a surface of the chair pad.

In conclusion, the bath aid structure of the present invention comprisesthe first plate and the second plate whereby disabled or aged personscan enter the bathtub safely and easily. Also, the bath aid assembly ofthe present invention comprises the bath aid structure and a seatstructure to allow disabled or aged persons to take a bath comfortably.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention arehereunder illustrated with specific embodiments in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a bath aid structure according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the bath aid structure installed on abathtub according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of operation of the bath aid structureaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a bath aid structure according to thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is another schematic view of the bath aid structure according tothe second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the bath aid assembly installed on abathtub according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the bath aid assembly according to the secondembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the bath aid assembly serving astorage-related purpose according to the second embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, there are shown diagrams of a bathaid structure 100 according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention. The bath aid structure 100 is adapted for use with a bathtub1000. The bath aid structure 100 comprises a first plate 10, at least ahandle 20, and a second plate 30.

The first plate 10 is mounted on top of two sidewalls 1001 of thebathtub 1000. The first plate 10 comprises a bend portion 11, a firstpivotal connection portion 12, and a first engagement portion 13. Thebend portion 11 is disposed on a lateral surface of the first plate 10.An opening 11 a of the bend portion 11 corresponds in position to acavity 1002 of the bathtub 1000. The first pivotal connection portion 12is disposed inside the bend portion 11 and positioned distal to theopening 11 a. The first pivotal connection portion 12 is provided in theform of a shaft. The first engagement portion 13 is positioned proximateto the opening 11 a of the bend portion 11, as shown in FIG. 1, that is,lying outside the bend portion 11. However, the present invention is notlimited thereto, because it is also feasible for the first engagementportion 13 to be positioned inside the bend portion 11.

The handle 20 is removably installed on top of the first plate 10, andits position shown in FIG. 1 merely serves an illustrative purpose. Inpractice, it is also feasible for the handle 20 to be installed at anyother position on the first plate 10 (see FIG. 4.)

The second plate 30 is received inside the bend portion 11 of the firstplate 10. The second plate 30 comprises a second pivotal connectionportion 31 and a second engagement portion 32. The second pivotalconnection portion 31 corresponds in position to the first pivotalconnection portion 12 of the first plate 10, such that the second plate30 is pivotally coupled to the first plate 10 to thereby allow thesecond plate 30 to be lifted, as shown in FIG. 3. The second engagementportion 32 corresponds in position to the first engagement portion 13 ofthe first plate 10, such that the second plate 30 is movably fixed tothe first plate 10. If a disabled or aged person sits on the secondplate 30, the second plate 30 will bear the disabled or aged person'sweight because of the design of the first engagement portion 13 and thesecond engagement portion 32.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the bath aid structure 100 is mounted ontop of two sidewalls 1001 of the bathtub 1000. The disabled or agedperson (not shown) enters the bathtub 1000 from the left of FIG. 2, sitson the bath aid structure 100 temporarily, moves her or his feet intothe cavity 1002 of the bathtub 1000 one by one, and eventually sits onthe bath aid structure 100 before beginning to wash her or his body inthe bathtub 1000. Hence, the bath aid structure 100 assists the disabledor aged person in entering the cavity 1002 of the bathtub 1000 safelyand easily.

Referring to FIG. 3, after washing her or his body in the bathtub 1000,the disabled or aged person may want to soak her or his body in waterfor a while. To this end, s/he lifts the second plate 30 and then beginsan immersion session. In this regard, when lifted, the second plate 30functions as a backrest against which the disabled or aged person leanswhile enjoying the immersion session comfortably.

In conclusion, the present invention provides a bath aid structure whichcomprises a first plate and a second plate such that a disabled or agedperson can enter a bathtub safely and easily in order to bathe therein.Also, the first plate comprises a first engagement portion, whereas thesecond plate comprises a second engagement portion, such that thedisabled or aged person can sit on the bath aid structure to wash her orhis body. Furthermore, the first plate comprises a first pivotalconnection portion, whereas the second plate comprises a second pivotalconnection portion, such that the disabled or aged person can enjoy animmersion session comfortably.

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, there are shown schematic views of abath aid structure 200 according to the second embodiment of the presentinvention. The bath aid structure 200 is substantially identical to thebath aid structure 100, except the following. The bath aid structure 200further comprises a cushion 40 removably mounted beneath the secondplate 30 such that, after lifting the second plate 30, the disabled oraged person can lean against the cushion 40 comfortably.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bath aid structure 200 further comprises atleast a bathtub fitting element 50 disposed beneath the first plate 10.In an embodiment of the present invention, the at least a bathtubfitting element 50 is in the number of two. With the two bathtub fittingelements 50, the first plate 10 is fixed to the sidewalls 1001 of thebathtub 1000 to thereby fix the bath aid structure 200 in place.

Furthermore, the bath aid structure 200 further comprises a platereinforcing element 60 disposed beneath the second plate 30 and adaptedto reinforce the second plate 30. Hence, the second plate 30 hassufficient mechanical strength to bear the disabled or aged person'sweight.

Furthermore, with the bath aid structure 100 being used by disabled oraged persons in taking a bath, a trace of residual water is likely toaccumulate on the surface of the bath aid structure 100, thereby posinga problem with blots and hygiene. This problem is solved by the bath aidstructure 100. The bath aid structure 200 further comprises a pluralityof plate drains 70 penetratingly formed in the first plate 10 and/or thesecond plate 30 and adapted to discharge water from the first plate 10and/or the second plate 30.

Referring to FIG. 6, the present invention further provides a bath aidassembly 300 whereby the disabled or aged person is seated inside thebathtub comfortably.

Referring to FIG. 6, the bath aid assembly 300 comprises the bath aidstructure 100 and a seat structure 80. A first connection rod 14 ispivotally connected to the bottom surface of the first plate 10 of thebath aid structure 100.

The seat structure 80 comprises a chair pad 81, four support rods 82,and a second connection rod 83. The chair pad 81 comes in the form of aplastic board, a silicone pad, or any well-known form. The support rods82 are removably mounted beneath the chair pad 81 and adapted to supportthe chair pad 81. The second connection rod 83 is pivotally coupled tothe chair pad 81. The second connection rod 83 is movably connected tothe first connection rod 14 of the first plate 10 of the bath aidstructure 100 in a manner to allow a user to pull the first connectionrod 14 relative to the second connection rod 83 or insert the firstconnection rod 14 into the second connection rod 83, in the directionindicated by the double-headed arrow shown in FIG. 6, to thereby adjustthe distance between the first plate 10 and the chair pad 81, such thatthe seat structure 80 can be applicable to two scenarios, namely deepsaid cavity 1002 of the bathtub 1000, and shallow said cavity 1002 ofthe bathtub 1000. In the scenario where the cavity 1002 is deep, theuser pulls the first connection rod 14 away from the second connectionrod 83 to thereby increase the distance between the first plate 10 andthe chair pad 81 appropriately. In the scenario where the cavity 1002 isshallow, the user pushes the first connection rod 14 into the secondconnection rod 83 to thereby decrease the distance between the firstplate 10 and the chair pad 81 appropriately.

In conclusion, the present invention provides a bath aid assembly with aseat structure and a liftable second plate to enable disabled or agedpersons to take a bath comfortably. Also, the bath aid assemblycomprises a first connection rod and a second connection rod which aredesigned to allow the bath aid assembly to be applicable to bathtubswhich come in different dimensions.

Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, there are shown schematic views of abath aid assembly 400 according to the second embodiment of the presentinvention. The bath aid assembly 400 is substantially identical to thebath aid assembly 300, except the following. The bath aid assembly 400comprises the bath aid structure 200 and the seat structure 80. A firststorage portion 84 and a second storage portion 85 are disposed beneaththe chair pad 81 of the seat structure 80.

The first storage portion 84, which is disposed beneath the chair pad81, stores the support rods 82 which have been disconnected from thechair pad 81. The second storage portion 85, which is centrallypositioned beneath the chair pad 81, stores the first connection rod 14and the second connection rod 83. Related details are described below.

After taking a bath, users may want to store the bath aid assembly 400in a storage cabinet. To put aside the bath aid assembly 400 for lateruse, the user follows the steps described below: remove the cushion 40;remove the support rods 82 and put them in the first storage portion 84;turn the chair pad 81 relative to the first connection rod 14 and thesecond connection rod 83 while turning the first connection rod 14 andthe second connection rod 83 relative to the first plate 10, such thatthe first connection rod 14 and the second connection rod 83 arereceived in the second storage portion 85; and remove the handle 20. Byfollowing the aforesaid steps, the users can store the bath aid assembly400 easily and in a space-saving manner.

Furthermore, with the bath aid assembly 300 being used by disabled oraged persons in taking a bath, a trace of residual water is likely toaccumulate on the surface of the chair pad 81 of the bath aid assembly300, thereby posing a problem with blots and hygiene. This problem issolved by the bath aid assembly 400. Referring to FIG. 8, a plurality ofchair pad drains 86 is disposed on the surface of the chair pad 81 ofthe bath aid assembly 400 and adapted to drain water from the chair pad81.

In conclusion, the present invention provides a bath aid structure whichcomprises a first plate and a second plate to enable a disabled or agedperson to enter a bathtub safely and easily in order to bathe therein.Also, the present invention provides a bath aid assembly which comprisesthe bath aid structure and a seat structure to enable disabled or agedpersons to wash and soak their bodies in the bathtub comfortably.

The present invention is disclosed above by preferred embodiments.However, persons skilled in the art should understand that the preferredembodiments are illustrative of the present invention only, but shouldnot be interpreted as restrictive of the scope of the present invention.Hence, all equivalent modifications and replacements made to theaforesaid embodiments should fall within the scope of the presentinvention. Accordingly, the legal protection for the present inventionshould be defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bath aid structure for use with a bathtub, thebath aid structure comprising: a first plate mounted on top of twosidewalls of the bathtub and comprising: a bend portion disposed on alateral surface of the first plate and having an opening correspondingin position to a cavity of the bathtub; a first pivotal connectionportion disposed inside the bend portion and positioned distal to theopening; and a first engagement portion positioned proximate to theopening of the bend portion; at least a handle disposed on top of thefirst plate; and a second plate received in the bend portion of thefirst plate and comprising: a second pivotal connection portioncorresponding in position to the first pivotal connection portion of thefirst plate, such that the second plate is pivotally coupled to thefirst plate; and a second engagement portion corresponding in positionto the first engagement portion of the first plate, such that the secondplate is movably fixed to the first plate.
 2. The bath aid structure ofclaim 1, further comprising a cushion removably mounted beneath thesecond plate.
 3. The bath aid structure of claim 1, further comprisingat least a bathtub fitting element disposed beneath the first plate,such that the first plate is fixed to the sidewalls of the bathtub. 4.The bath aid structure of claim 2, further comprising at least a bathtubfitting element disposed beneath the first plate, such that the firstplate is fixed to the sidewalls of the bathtub.
 5. The bath aidstructure of claim 3, wherein the at least a bathtub fitting element isin the number of two and fixed to the sidewalls of the bathtub,respectively.
 6. The bath aid structure of claim 4, wherein the at leasta bathtub fitting element is in the number of two and fixed to thesidewalls of the bathtub, respectively.
 7. The bath aid structure ofclaim 1, further comprising a plate reinforcing element disposed beneaththe second plate.
 8. The bath aid structure of claim 1, furthercomprising a plurality of plate drains penetratingly formed in at leastone of the first plate and the second plate.
 9. A bath aid assembly foruse with a bathtub, the bath aid assembly comprising: a bath aidstructure of claim 1, wherein a first connection rod is pivotallyconnected to a bottom surface of the first plate of the bath aidstructure; and a seat structure, comprising: a chair pad; four supportrods removably mounted beneath the chair pad; and a second connectionrod pivotally coupled to the chair pad and movably connected to a firstconnection rod of the first plate of the bath aid structure to adjust adistance between the first plate and the chair pad.
 10. The bath aidassembly of claim 9, wherein the chair pad of the seat structure ischaracterized by: a first storage portion disposed beneath the chair padto store the support rods having been disconnected from the chair pad;and a second storage portion centrally positioned beneath the chair padto store the first connection rod and the second connection rod.
 11. Thebath aid assembly of claim 9, wherein a plurality of chair pad drains isdisposed on a surface of the chair pad.
 12. The bath aid assembly ofclaim 10, wherein a plurality of chair pad drains is disposed on asurface of the chair pad.